Canter Group Planning & Design Blog

Don't forget that once a passenger leaves a vehicle, the passenger has become a pedestrian.  This photograph is of a parking lot at a local restaurant.  The gutter of this style inlet is heavily sloped, and it's location can lead to serious injury to a pedestrian leaving a vehicle.

There are a lot of great designers out there offering workable ideas for stormwater treatment and control.  Parking lot bioswales (depressed areas to treat and/or control storomwater runoff are a great example of their thinking.  This is only one example:   With anything, once it's built, it requires maintenance to function properly.  The permitted facility shown below is rather new (around a year old) and it's intended function is already significantly impaired. Here' is what sometimes happens: Outlet structure blocked by debris and dead plant material. Landscaping/sod has died and sides are eroded.

Went to the Musem of Florida History on July 4th.  What a great place!  Exhibits cover Florida History from ancient times through the 20th century. Cafe and Gift Shop, visits are free (donations are encouraged), tours are available if desired.  Parking is available in the parking garage next door ($5), tokens are gotten from the gift shop. Here is the location: Museum of Florida History R.A. Gray Building 500 South Bronough Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250 (850) 245-6400 Here are a few photos:

Utility Screen after about 1.5 years

While finishing a recent project, we received a request from Tallahassee Growth Management to consider screening the required fire apparatus and backflow preventers from drivers on the adjacent roadway.  The challenge was to find a way to make these less noticeable and still maintain the required 7-foot clearance around the equipment. BEFORE   We decided to camouflage the backflow preventer by approximating the background color of the landscaping behind the units, and block the view to traffic with landscaping.       We photographed the surrounding installed landscaping, then use Adobe Illustrator to match the average color with Pantone color chips.  The result was presented to the Owner for approval.      Covers for the irrigation and potable water backflow preventers were added.  As in many construction projects, the instructions were "creatively" interpreted by the ones doing the ...

 This famous Bread Company is located on a major roadway in St. Petersburg, Florida.  It’s close to mid-day.  Can you tell if it’s open for business? This structure meets most of the parameters for situation according to Form Based Codes:  It addresses the street with the front of the building pushed as close as possible to roadway, still allowing for a sidewalk in front; Parking is located at the rear and is accessed by an alley on the corner and by a small drive/roadway along the rear.  The building façade includes windows along the front, so there is no bare wall. But it looks lifeless.   At the driveway / alley looking across the front. At the driveway /alley, looking the other way. It looks forced and pretentious. Notice the backflow preventers out front. At the front… At the front…apparently no signs allowed. Not even way-finding.  Below is a view across the street, with more of the same...  Sunken Gardens...